7 simple ways to celebrate Māori Language Week

Kia ora koutou. This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori — Māori Language Week. It’s a time for celebrating the Māori words and phrases we know, and for learning some we don’t know yet.

This year’s theme is Ākina te Reo. It’s about using te reo Māori to support, inspire, and cheer people on. Use these flash cards to learn some inspirational phrases to support your favourite teams and players.

Use te reo Māori wherever you are

As well as on the sportsfield, try using te reo at work and at home. Choose a few words you’re comfortable with, or learn a few new ones. Then practise using them with your whānau (family) or hoamahi (workmates). Answer the phone with ‘Kia ora’, or end an email with ‘Hei konā mai’.

Māori is for everyone

Some Kiwis feel that speaking te reo isn’t really for them. But Māori words are all around us — in our place names and street names, on the news and on the radio, and at the start of most rugby games. Te reo is part of who we all are, and it’s up to all of us to help keep it alive.

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One response to “7 simple ways to celebrate Māori Language Week”

Ka pai, Eleanor! I’ve admired the way you use te reo in your emails. Now I’ve signed up for a kupu a day, and made a folder in Outlook so I can do a bit of revision over a cuppa. On Saturday I’ll tunu a loaf of bread. Oh, and the National Anthem will be much easier to learn with the English ‘subtitles’. Kia ora!